Adair County, Oklahoma

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 40001 · population 19,445 · 574 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 622 records for Adair County, Oklahoma from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 442 days; the most frequent are hail reports (196 records). The deadliest single record is the November 4, 2022 flash flood: 2 deaths and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1970, 27 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on March 18, 2025.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
622on 442 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
54 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$13Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
44strongest F3
FEMA declarations
29latest 2025

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Adair County most?

The most frequent records are hail reports: 196 since 1965. 53% of its hail reports since 1965 fell in April and May. The rank column places the county among Oklahoma's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Adair County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Hail 196 140 1965-2026 0 0 $304K 44 of 77
Severe thunderstorm wind 163 129 1966-2025 0 0 $1.5M 29 of 77
Floods 91 72 1996-2024 5 2 $1.5M 6 of 77
Drought 44 44 2005-2026 0 0 – 62 of 77
Tornadoes 44 32 1961-2026 0 2 $3.9M 36 of 77
Winter storms 40 40 1996-2026 0 0 $6.2M 23 of 77
Heat 19 19 2006-2023 0 0 – 67 of 77
Wildfires 19 19 2011-2026 0 0 $97K 2 of 77
High wind and dust storms 6 6 1998-2014 0 0 $16K 58 of 77

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Adair County had?

NOAA records 44 tornadoes in Adair County from 1961 to 2026, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. That is 36th of 77 Oklahoma counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 40 tornadoes whose track touched Adair County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 44: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 0 of them in Adair County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Adair County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2010-12-31 06:05, as SPC files itTontitownCrossed AR, OKEF321.1 mi4
1970-06-11 20:15, as SPC files itFayettevilleCrossed AR, OKF351.8 mi1
1999-05-04 11:54, as SPC files itFarmingtonCrossed AR, OKF338.2 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Oklahoma.

Every tornado record filed for Adair County (44)
Every tornado recorded in Adair County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-04-14 Baron, Adair County EF1 3 mi x 700 yd 0 0 –
2026-04-14 Titanic, Adair County EF1 16.4 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $70K
2025-06-18 Christie, Adair County EF1 8.8 mi x 750 yd 0 0 $100K
2025-06-18 Titanic, Adair County EF1 2.3 mi x 650 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-19 Westville, Adair County EFU 0.8 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-19 Lyons, Adair County EF1 14.8 mi x 2,200 yd 0 0 $50K
2025-05-19 Bidding Spgs, Adair County EF1 3.9 mi x 1,300 yd 0 0 –
2025-05-19 Bunch, Adair County EF1 6.3 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 –
2024-11-04 Bidding Spgs, Adair County EF2 22.1 mi x 1,200 yd 0 0 $141K
2024-05-07 Stilwell, Adair County EF2 5.9 mi x 600 yd 0 0 –
2022-04-13 Stilwell, Adair County EF1 6.5 mi x 700 yd 0 1 $303K
2021-04-28 Stilwell, Adair County EF1 7.1 mi x 225 yd 0 0 $54K
2021-04-28 Bidding Spgs, Adair County EFU 1.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 –
2020-05-25 Watts, Adair County EF1 0.6 mi x 120 yd 0 0 –
2019-10-20 Chance, Adair County EF1 5.8 mi x 900 yd 0 0 $87K
2018-11-30 Titanic, Adair County EF2 18.4 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $294K
2018-11-30 Titanic, Adair County EF1 0.8 mi x 900 yd 0 0 $18K
2017-03-06 Bunch, Adair County EF1 6.1 mi x 650 yd 0 0 $120K
2016-03-23 Stilwell, Adair County EF1 1.8 mi x 480 yd 0 0 –
2015-07-09 Proctor, Adair County EF1 3.7 mi x 500 yd 0 0 –
2015-03-25 Watts, Adair County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2013-05-20 Addielee, Adair County EF1 5.8 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $158K
2013-05-20 Christie, Adair County EF1 2.5 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $19K
2013-05-20 Proctor, Adair County EF1 2 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
2012-04-15 Titanic, Adair County EF0 3.4 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $26K
2012-04-15 Titanic, Adair County EF0 0.3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $32K
2011-05-22 Chewey, Adair County EF1 2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 –
2010-12-31 Westville, Adair County EF2 2.1 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $81K
2008-04-10 Stilwell, Adair County EF2 3.5 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $69K
2008-04-10 Bunch, Adair County EF2 2.75 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $137K
2008-01-07 Watts, Adair County EF0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1999-05-10 Proctor, Adair County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $886
1999-05-04 Stilwell, Adair County F3 7 mi x 175 yd 0 0 $12K
1999-05-04 Proctor, Adair County F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $2K
1995-10-26 Stilwell, Adair County F0 3 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $58K
1995-04-17 Adair County F1 1 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $968K
1993-04-24 Watts, Adair County F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
1991-10-28 Adair County F1 10.3 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $250K step
1973-06-16 Adair County F1 0.1 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $3K step
1970-06-11 Adair County F3 22.2 mi x 33 yd 0 1 –
1968-06-01 Adair County F2 3.6 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $25K step
1966-06-30 Adair County F1 0.2 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $3K step
1961-05-08 Adair County F2 0 0 $25K step
1961-05-06 Adair County F1 0.8 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $3K step

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Adair County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 hail ($100,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

Hail up to two inches in diameter damaged homes and vehicles.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1330706)
The 12 most recent records kept for Adair County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-04-28 HailChewey, Adair County 2.00 in hail 0 0 $100K
2026-04-14 TornadoBaron, Adair County EF1 3 mi x 700 yd 0 0 –
2026-04-14 TornadoTitanic, Adair County EF1 16.4 mi x 800 yd 0 0 $70K
2026-04-01 DroughtAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2026-03-17 WildfireAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2026-03-01 DroughtAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2026-02-01 DroughtAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2026-01-23 Winter StormAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2026-01-06 DroughtAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 –
2025-06-18 TornadoChristie, Adair County EF1 8.8 mi x 750 yd 0 0 $100K
2025-06-18 TornadoTitanic, Adair County EF1 2.3 mi x 650 yd 0 0 –
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindAddielee, Adair County 54 kt wind 0 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Adair County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2022-11-04 Flash FloodBidding Spgs, Adair County Locally heavy rainfall resulted in the flooding of portions of several county roads. A vehicle was driven into a flooded low water crossing west of Stilwell, where it was washed downstream. Four people were inside the vehicle at the time. A 14-year old boy and a 9-year old girl in the vehicle were taken to the ... 2 2 –
2018-02-21 FloodStillwell Airport, Adair County A 53-year old man drove his vehicle into a flooded, low-water crossing about three miles east of Stillwell in Adair County, where he drowned. 1 0 –
2010-09-09 Flash FloodBunch, Adair County Numerous roads in the southern portion of the county were flooded and closed. Several county roads and low water crossings were washed out. A nineteen year old drowned when his vehicle was swept off the road while he tried to drive through a flooded low water crossing. 1 0 $102K
1999-06-30 Flash FloodStilwell, Adair County A 22-year old man drowned while attempting to cross a marked low-water bridge over Evansville Creek on OK Hwy 100 east of Stilwell. His compact pickup truck was swept off the road into the fast-moving stream, which had been flooded by up to 4 inches of rain earlier that morning upstream in Crawford and Washington ... 1 0 $9K
2022-04-13 TornadoStilwell, Adair County This tornado developed south of the E 820 Road and west of the S 4700 Road, where large tree limbs were snapped and homes were damaged. It moved east-northeast across the cemetery snapping softwood trees. The tornado then moved across the northwest and north sides of Stilwell, where the roofs of a number of apartment ... EF1 6.5 mi x 700 yd 0 1 $303K
1970-06-11 TornadoAdair County F3 22.2 mi x 33 yd 0 1 –
The costliest records in Adair County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2009-01-26 Ice StormAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 $4.5M
2001-11-28 Ice StormAdair County · forecast zone Adair 0 0 $1.7M
2022-04-13 TornadoStilwell, Adair County EF1 6.5 mi x 700 yd 0 1 $303K
2018-11-30 TornadoTitanic, Adair County EF2 18.4 mi x 1,000 yd 0 0 $294K
2013-05-20 TornadoAddielee, Adair County EF1 5.8 mi x 500 yd 0 0 $158K
2024-11-04 TornadoBidding Spgs, Adair County EF2 22.1 mi x 1,200 yd 0 0 $141K
2008-04-10 TornadoBunch, Adair County EF2 2.75 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $137K
2017-03-06 TornadoBunch, Adair County EF1 6.1 mi x 650 yd 0 0 $120K

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 28, 1991 (tornado, Adair County).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Adair County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Adair County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Hail052195573348
Severe thunderstorm wind021945573613
Floods––––12333412
Drought––––092312
Tornadoes0420731414
Winter storms––––7101310

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

53% of its hail reports since 1965 fell in April and May. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 37 · Feb 35 · Mar 73 · Apr 115 · May 120 · Jun 67 · Jul 41 · Aug 31 · Sep 28 · Oct 29 · Nov 25 · Dec 21 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Adair County

FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Adair County: 21 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and severe ice storm (6).

Declarations including Adair County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2025-03-18DR-4862Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2022-06-29DR-4657Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2021-02-24DR-4587Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2021-02-17EM-3555Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-04-05DR-4530BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3462BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-01DR-4438Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2017-05-26DR-4315Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2016-02-10DR-4256Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2015-05-26DR-4222Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2011-05-27DR-1988Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2011-02-02EM-3316Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2010-01-30EM-3308Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2009-02-17DR-1823Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2008-05-09DR-1754FloodSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2008-05-05DR-1752Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2007-12-10EM-3280Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-02-01DR-1678Severe StormSevere Winter Storms
2007-01-14EM-3272Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2006-01-10DR-1623FireExtreme Wildfire Threat
2005-09-05EM-3219HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2001-01-05DR-1355Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Ice Storm
2000-12-28EM-3158Severe Ice StormSevere Winter and Ice Storm
1993-05-12DR-991Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1990-05-18DR-866Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1986-10-14DR-778FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1974-06-10DR-441FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-12-10DR-409FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1970-10-14DR-297Severe StormHeavy Rains, Tornadoes & Flooding

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Adair County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 91 flood or flash flood records for Adair County from 1996 to 2024, on 72 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Adair County ranks 2003rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.1 million on 25 claims filed in Adair County; the most in one year was 10 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1990: 1 · 2000: 3 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 10 · 2015: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 2; the other years: 0.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Adair County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Adair County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

National Risk Index ratings for Adair County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormRelatively High$717K2 a year (modeled)
WildfireRelatively Moderate$1.0Monce in about 85 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$1.5M13 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Moderate$1.5Monce in about 2 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$6.2M2.5 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Low$172K59 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Low$397K6.4 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Low$46K9 a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Adair County

  1. Benton County, AR 1,346
  2. Washington County, AR 1,163
  3. Crawford County, AR 956
  4. Cherokee County 927
  5. Sequoyah County 860
  6. Delaware County 782
  7. Adair County 622

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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